AL-JAFF PALACE: EMERGENCY CONSERVATION FIELD PROJECT

Under a partnership agreement with the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), TARII facilitated the emergency conservation of a Jaff palace in the city of Al-Saadiya. This field project was conducted and led by the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), the Diyala Antiquities office, in 2022 as the last step of the “Regional Course on Cultural Heritage First Aid, Peace, and Resilience in Times of Crisis”, an international course co-organized with the ALIPH Foundation.

Through the implementation of this training course and final field project, IICROM aims to enhance the skills in emergency preparedness and response, crisis communication, and people-centered first aid in cultural heritage. Since its founding, TARII has been invested in the protection of the cultural heritage of Iraq with projects in emergency conservation, funding archaeology and heritage fellowships, and by acting as a trusted partner for Iraqi and international cultural heritage institutions and professionals.

As the oldest remaining building in the city, the palace’s historical and heritage significance is linked to the memory of the city and region. It is associated with the leader of the Jaff tribe, Mahmoud Pasha al-Jaff. Damaged by Daesh in 2014, it is regularly threatened by earthquakes from the nearby fault line, fires from nearby orchards, and ground flooding from the nearby Hamrin Lake.

During the first phase of this multi-phrased field project archaeologists from the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage stabilized the structure of the palace, removed rubble and treated cracks, cleaned the effects of fires, removed modern wall additions, built scaffolding and purchased supplies for future phases, and reconstructed part of the northern wall to prevent vandalism. This initial phase provided for critical work to be conducted in order to save this heritage site.